Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Writing Wednesday: Chatting with Charlotte O'Shay, debut author

Today I'm excited to have debut author Charlotte O'Shay as my guest! Her recent release THE MARRIAGE ULTIMATUM is a fun summer read and the start of a new series about life and love in New York City.

Welcome, Charlotte!

Tell us a little about yourself...

I’m
a wife, mom of four, sister to multitudes, daughter, friend, native New Yorker,
and lawyer (non practicing). I could also add to that music lover, history buff
and obsessive watcher of HGTV, cooking shows and Game of Thrones. I am trying
to invent a way of writing while using a stair master.

I
read fiction, non-fiction, biography, science, mystery, paranormal, (but
nothing graphically violent) history, historical romance (current day authors
as well as Georgette Heyer and other greats). But escaping into a good
contemporary romance is what got me through some rough times in life.

I
want to give that escape to someone who read my books. I want them to be
grounded in reality with great characters and just a little bit of the
fantastic mixed in.

What's your favorite part of being an author?

I
love the feeling of creation from the spark of an idea to a full story and
characters. It’s the best fun I’ve ever had and also kind of scary when the
time comes to let the world see/read my creation.

What's your approach to writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?

I
think I’m more of a go with the flow type. I get a skeleton idea or a problem,
then characters that come out of that although sometimes the characters come
first. In The Marriage Ultimatum, the
characters of Vlad and Sabrina came to me first. They are both determined to
keep their secrets because their lives will fall apart if they don’t.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

I
love this question! I would like the power to go back in history to special moments
and see, hear and live those moments for a time ~ Ancient Rome, Revolutionary
War Era America, the Western prairie.

Ooh, cool use of a superpower! Now, tell us about your new/latest release!

The Marriage Ultimatum is about two people
who have nothing in common except a longing for family and a drive to succeed
in the not always hospitable Big Apple. They have every reason to distrust each
other, but due to circumstances neither anticipated, must marry. It helps that
sparks fly from the moment they meet.

Love it! Must say that I so love your cover - and loved the story! Okay, you’re casting the movie version of your novel – who would you choose for
the main characters? We’re talking dream cast.

Even
though I like a reader to imagine his or her own dream actor or actress I have
to say I pictured Eric Bana (with blue eyes) for Vlad and Emma Stone for
Sabrina. Lacey, who is the heroine of A
Model Engagement, the next book in my series, I have always seen as Zooey
Deschanel.

Nice choices, and can totally picture Zooey in that role! I also just watched Black Hawk Down again recently with the kids, and love Eric Bana! here can readers find your book and where can they find you online?

Loved your interview, Charlotte. Bought your book, and it's in my tbr pile. I've gotten hung up on reading a very long anthology and a very long historical memoir about Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter, but I WILL get to your book. Good luck with your release and debut.

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Welcome!

I'm an author, editor, magazine columnist, wife, and mother to three kids and two big dogs... not necessarily in that same order each day. I try to write every day and read a book a week, but life often gets in the way.

I write romance and adventure for young adults and the young at heart, and living next to the Atlantic Ocean influences everything I write...